PRESERVATION (of the Bible)
After God inspired His Word (see INSPIRATION), it was transmitted to us today through multiple copies, but did God work to preserve it for us, or do we only have a shadow of what was once inspired? If we do not have a copy of God’s Word providentially preserved today, then what good would it do us?
Preservation takes that which was inspired by God and keeps it for us. God’s Word is not re-inspired every time a copy is made, because it never lost its inspiration. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God…that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). When Paul wrote this to Timothy, he was referring to the Old Testament, which had been completed 450 years before Christ. No one believes that Paul or Timothy or any synagogue or church of their day had the original manuscripts. They had copies that had been passed down to them, and they still believed what they had was given by “inspiration of God” and was all they needed: “That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” They believed God was big enough to give it and to preserve it for their generation. Are we to believe that this was only for the first-century Christians and that later God was no longer able to do this? The apostle Paul wrote more New Testament books than anyone else, and his writings were considered Scripture, the same as those of the Old Testament (2 Peter 3:15–16; see INSPIRATION).
There are many promises of preservation found in the Bible, both from the Old and New Testament, but I will give only a few. “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18; see also Matthew 24:35; Luke 16:17; Psalm 100:5; 119:89; Isaiah 59:21; 1 Peter1:23–25; Revelation 22:18–19). Christ said that God’s Word would be preserved as long as heaven and earth. The “jot” and “tittle” are the equivalent of a dotted “i” or a crossed “t,” and even these, He said, would in “no wise pass from the law.” Christ said this in reference to the “law” (again, the Old Testament), which He quoted and never cast a shadow of doubt upon it. To say that it is only preserved in heaven would not have benefited Christ or the apostles who quoted from it, or us today. Paul said, “Believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets” (Acts 24:14).
God’s Word has been translated into all the major different languages of the world and a multitude of minor languages. I said in the beginning of this book that I use the King James Bible, and there are good men who would not agree, but it is not the scope of this book to give the details necessary to convince those who hold to other versions. There are many websites, pro and con, for those who are interested in this subject. And those with extreme positions can be found on both sides of this argument.
I recommend the book, A MORE SURE WORD, WHICH BIBLE CAN YOU TRUST? By R. B. Ouellette.
1) https://www.amazon.com/More-Sure-Word-Which-Bible/dp/1598940473
2) http://www.wayoflife.org/database/textsversionsheader.html
3) http://www.holybibleinstitute.com/files/Faith_vs._Modern_Bible_Versions.pdf
4) http://febc.edu.sg/assets/pdfs/VPP/TheKingJamesVersionDefended.pdf
On the practical side of the argument, there are two points that I rarely see mentioned that I would like to touch on. Bible believers used to read selected passages together in church, both young and old, each holding the same version of the Bible, but today with all the different versions it would be a tower of Babel (1 Corinthians 14:33). And for years I have read how each new version would be “better,” “improved,” “superior,” “from better manuscripts,” etc., but such statements are really opinions and those scholars who say such things do not agree among themselves (see PRESERVATION, INSPIRATION, BIBLE).
After God inspired His Word (see INSPIRATION), it was transmitted to us today through multiple copies, but did God work to preserve it for us, or do we only have a shadow of what was once inspired? If we do not have a copy of God’s Word providentially preserved today, then what good would it do us?
Preservation takes that which was inspired by God and keeps it for us. God’s Word is not re-inspired every time a copy is made, because it never lost its inspiration. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God…that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). When Paul wrote this to Timothy, he was referring to the Old Testament, which had been completed 450 years before Christ. No one believes that Paul or Timothy or any synagogue or church of their day had the original manuscripts. They had copies that had been passed down to them, and they still believed what they had was given by “inspiration of God” and was all they needed: “That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” They believed God was big enough to give it and to preserve it for their generation. Are we to believe that this was only for the first-century Christians and that later God was no longer able to do this? The apostle Paul wrote more New Testament books than anyone else, and his writings were considered Scripture, the same as those of the Old Testament (2 Peter 3:15–16; see INSPIRATION).
There are many promises of preservation found in the Bible, both from the Old and New Testament, but I will give only a few. “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18; see also Matthew 24:35; Luke 16:17; Psalm 100:5; 119:89; Isaiah 59:21; 1 Peter1:23–25; Revelation 22:18–19). Christ said that God’s Word would be preserved as long as heaven and earth. The “jot” and “tittle” are the equivalent of a dotted “i” or a crossed “t,” and even these, He said, would in “no wise pass from the law.” Christ said this in reference to the “law” (again, the Old Testament), which He quoted and never cast a shadow of doubt upon it. To say that it is only preserved in heaven would not have benefited Christ or the apostles who quoted from it, or us today. Paul said, “Believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets” (Acts 24:14).
God’s Word has been translated into all the major different languages of the world and a multitude of minor languages. I said in the beginning of this book that I use the King James Bible, and there are good men who would not agree, but it is not the scope of this book to give the details necessary to convince those who hold to other versions. There are many websites, pro and con, for those who are interested in this subject. And those with extreme positions can be found on both sides of this argument.
I recommend the book, A MORE SURE WORD, WHICH BIBLE CAN YOU TRUST? By R. B. Ouellette.
1) https://www.amazon.com/More-Sure-Word-Which-Bible/dp/1598940473
2) http://www.wayoflife.org/database/textsversionsheader.html
3) http://www.holybibleinstitute.com/files/Faith_vs._Modern_Bible_Versions.pdf
4) http://febc.edu.sg/assets/pdfs/VPP/TheKingJamesVersionDefended.pdf
On the practical side of the argument, there are two points that I rarely see mentioned that I would like to touch on. Bible believers used to read selected passages together in church, both young and old, each holding the same version of the Bible, but today with all the different versions it would be a tower of Babel (1 Corinthians 14:33). And for years I have read how each new version would be “better,” “improved,” “superior,” “from better manuscripts,” etc., but such statements are really opinions and those scholars who say such things do not agree among themselves (see PRESERVATION, INSPIRATION, BIBLE).